How to tell if fresh chilli is off?
So, I keep running into this difficulty. I buy and use a lot of fresh chillies in my cooking, but sometimes the dish turns out, well, significantly worse and I cannot identify anything I am doing differently, at least, until I started suspecting the sometimes-soft chillis i'm buying from my local supermarket.
Smelling them, some smell different, almost sweet, and when bitten into, have an odd, bitter taste. Others don't have that smell, and taste how I would expect chillis to taste.
How do I tell if a chilli has gone off? Am I imagining this difference in taste? I've checked google but only found advice on growing chillis, not determining fresh from off, or even if they go off.
Best Answer
When I buy hot chilies, I look for firm, uniformly bright (or dark, depending on the type) green specimens. Unless I'm in a big hurry, I pick through the pile and choose them individually. I avoid any that are soft, discolored (including the ends), missing caps (the part that attaches to the stem -- they spoil faster after this is removed), wrinkly or otherwise look damaged or old.
If your store doesn't have any that look bright green, crisp and plump, try to find a new place to buy them, or just buy them in smaller quantities and get the least disreputable specimens and use them immediately.
You want to buy chilies from a place that has a high turnover on them and most supermarket produce sections don't really do that much business in hot peppers, so they tend to sit for a while. My favorite place to buy green chilies is at Indian markets (the busier, the better for turnover), second favorite is other Asian food markets, then other specialty markets from places that like spicy food, then farmers' markets, then a long way down the list, regular grocery stores.
When I get them home, I clean them off by hand (remove any stray leaves or any bad ones I accidentally missed, etc) and put them in the fridge in a lightly closed baggie. If I bought a large amount (or if I happen to be growing them and have a lot ripe at once), I will sometimes freeze them. I have a small bag of frozen habaneros at home right now. The texture is most definitely affected by freezing, but the flavor isn't (unless you keep them so long that they get freezer-burned), so if you are planning to cook with them, freezing is perfectly fine.
I usually don't wash them before storing, just pick them over. I wash them just before using them, whether I get them from the garden, the store, the fridge or the freezer.
If I have chilies I'm not sure about, I do smell and taste them to see if they are ok. If they feel/smell/taste weird, I don't put them in the dish. I'd rather replace green chilies with red pepper powder instead of using something iffy.
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Quick Answer about "How to tell if fresh chilli is off?"
How to tell if chili peppers are bad or spoiled? Chili peppers that are spoiling will typically become soft and discolored; discard any chili peppers that have an off smell or appearance.How long does fresh chilli last in the fridge?
You can usually keep fresh chillies for 7 days in the fridge. To store chillies properly in the fridge, keep them in the salad chiller in a bag or plastic container. If any of the chillies have damage marks on them remove them, or you will reduce the life of those you are storing next to them.How long does raw chili last?
Properly stored, chili peppers will usually keep well for 1 week in the fridge. Can you freeze chili peppers? Yes, to freeze: Slice or chop the peppers, then place in airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags, or wrap tightly in heavy-duty aluminum foil or plastic wrap.Do chillies expire?
Dried chili peppers, ground peppers, and crushed peppers don't exactly expire or go bad. When dried peppers have gone bad, it means they lost their flavor, color, and potency. It's not likely to make you sick if you consume any kind of dried pepper that's expired.How long do green chiles last in the fridge?
Safely Storing and Preserving Chiles Once stored in the refrigerator, roasted chiles must be used or frozen within 3 days; however, the sooner you can freeze them the better because this ensures the best flavor and texture.EP68 - How to tell if your Chilli is ready to pick #5MINUTEFRIDAY
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Answer 2
Signs that a chili is going past its prime:
Darkening of seeds:
Peppers (in general) have white-creamy colored seeds if they're fresh. If they start to darken, you want to use the pepper sooner, rather than later.
Softening of the outer body:
Peppers (in general) have a firm outer body & skin. If you poke them, and it leaves a dent, you want to use the pepper quite soon, rather than later.
Growth of spinal cord and/or limbic system:
Fresh peppers tend not to have them. Do not eat. Run.
I love peppers, and (disclaimer: to the best of my knowledge, and all varieties I've worked with), all peppers share the above qualities.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Angele J, Artem Beliaikin, Artem Beliaikin, Tom Swinnen